Appeals procedure

The information related to the ‘Appeal Procedure against Study Progress Decision’ on the website is provided for informational purposes only and cannot create any rights, only the provisions of the Teaching and Examination Regulations are binding.

The first step of the appeal procedure is to lodge an internal appeal. Only if you do not agree with the outcome of your internal appeal can you start an external appeal procedure against the decision. 

TIP: if you are considering lodging an internal appeal against an exam result, it is important to view the exam first and/or ask the examiner for clarification. You can find the deadlines and organisation of the inspection and feedback moments of your faculty in the supplementary faculty Teaching and examination regulations. Even if the inspection or feedback moment is scheduled later, you must submit your appeal within the deadline. 

In case you feel that your rights have been infringed you can appeal against a study progress decision within the expiry period of 7 calendar days. The expiry period for the different study progress decisions start at the following times:

• Examination decision: the day after receiving the electronic announcement of that the results/transcript of records are/is available in the Student SelfService;
• Measure of study progress monitoring: the day after receiving the electronic announcement of that the transcript of records is available in the Student SelfService;
• Other study progress decisions: the day after announcement of the decision.

When you lodge an appeal, you must take into account the following conditions your appeal needs to meet. If it doesn't, your appeal will not be deemed acceptable.

• The appeal must be submitted within 7 calendar days (the dated application, meaning the date of the postage stamp, will count as the submission date).
• The appeal must be signed and dated.
• The appeal must be sent in via registerd mail to the Central Commission for Appeals. 
• The application must include, at the very least, your identity, the disputed decision(s) and a factual description of the objections invoked. 
• Make sure to add documentation to prove your case. 
• We advise you to use the template form for internal appeal.
• The appeal must be filed in the form of a signed and dated application letter submitted within the expiry period by registered mail to
  
  Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  Central Commission for Appeals, FAO The President
  Onderwijs en studentenzaken C2
  Pleinlaan 2
  1050 Brussel
   
• At the same time, you need to send an identical electronic version of the application for information by e-mail to interneberoepen_OS@vub.be.

You will be informed of the decision on your appeal on your VUB mail account, within 4 weeks following your appeal-submission, or within 6 weeks if the case is judged based on documents.

Dates when the committee convenes:

• After 1st session: On 10 and 18 July 2024
• After resits: On 27 and 30 September and on 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 October 2024
• For appeals regarding academic year 2024-2025: On 17 Oct and 14 Nov 2024.

If you do not agree with the decision on your internal appeal, you can start an external appeal procedure against the decision. You must submit this external appeal to the Council for Study Progress Disputes within 7 calendar days of the notification of the decision taken on your internal appeal. More information can be found in the Teaching and examination regulations.  

Note: The Raad voor betwistingen inzake studievoortgangsbeslissingen (‘the Council’) acts as annulment judge. This means that the Council cannot proceed to a factual re-examination of the case and that you, as a student, cannot bring any new factual elements to your external appeal which you did not invoke during the internal appeal. If your internal appeal has been declared inadmissible, the Council will examine whether the internal appeal was rightly rejected as inadmissible."

I. SUBMITTING AN APPEAL
 

What is a (electronic) registered mail?

• (Electronic) registered mail is a postal service that provides additional security and tracking for important documents. Registered mail has several features that distinguish it from regular mail, such as a tracking number, proof of sending, and proof of delivery.

What date is considered as the date of my appeal?

• The date of the postmark determines the day the appeal is submitted.
   

II. HANDLING OF APPEALS
 

Will I be heard by the appeals committee?

• Students who submit an (admissible) appeal against an examination decision, a disciplinary examination-related decision, or the imposition of a study progress monitoring measure may be heard by the appeals committee.
• In other cases (appeals against other study progress decisions, or if it is determined during the preparation of the appeal that it was not submitted admissibly or that the appeals committee is not authorized), the appeals committee (or its chairperson) evaluates the appeal based on the documentation, and you will not be invited.
   

I submitted an appeal two weeks ago, but I haven't received an invitation for a hearing yet. What went wrong?

• Not all internal appeals are handled in a hearing where you, as a student, are invited. This is the case for internal appeals against:
  • an exam result (= examination decision)
  • a decision by the dean regarding plagiarism or irregularities during evaluation (= disciplinary examination-related decision)
  • binding conditions, refusal of re-enrollment or threshold decision (= imposing a study progress monitoring measure)
• For all other appeals (e.g., appeals against a decision regarding an exemption request), you will not be invited to a hearing of the appeals committee. If it is determined during the preparation of the file that your appeal was not submitted admissibly or that the appeals committee is not authorized, you will also not be invited.
   

II.b. HANDLING OF APPEALS - Appeals against an exam decision, an exam disciplinary decision, or a measure related to academic progress
 

Do I need to be present at the hearing?

• No, your presence at the hearing is not mandatory.
• The appeals committee makes a decision based on various elements found in the dossier (your appeal and attached annexes, information obtained from the faculty and/or instructor, etc.). Your presence at the hearing is especially useful if you want to present additional elements that you couldn't include at the time of submitting the appeal.

Can I attend the hearing via Teams (online platform)?

• No, the appeals committee's hearing takes place on campus and cannot be attended digitally.

I can't make it at the scheduled hearing time (because I am working and cannot take leave; I am abroad; I am not feeling well, etc.). Can the hearing be postponed?

• No, the convening of the appeals committee assumes the presence of various individuals. It is not possible to postpone the handling of the appeal to a day other than the scheduled hearing date.
• The dates on which the appeals committee meets after each exam period are published on the website.

III. APPEALS COMMITTEE DECISION

How will I be informed of the decision made by the appeals committee regarding my internal appeal?

• The decision of the appeals committee will be communicated to you through your VUB e-mail address.
   

How long does it take before I receive a decision?

• Due to the high number of appeals, the processing of an appeal takes several weeks.
• A significant number of appeals are handled in a hearing, the date of which is communicated to the student (admissible appeals against an examination decision, a disciplinary examination-related decision, or a study progress monitoring measure). These students can expect a decision within a month after the communicated hearing date.
• Other appeals also require several weeks before a decision can be expected. These students can expect a decision from the appeals committee within six weeks after submitting the appeal.
   

What if I haven't received a decision after 1 month from the hearing/6 weeks after submitting the appeal?

• If you have not received a decision after this period has passed, you can inquire via email (to: interneberoepen_OS@vub.be).
   

I disagree with the decision. Can I submit additional documents or be heard by the appeals committee again?

• No, once the appeals committee has made a decision, the appeal is concluded. However, you can submit an external appeal following the appeal procedures outlined in the decision (and in the Educational and Examination Regulations).
• In that case, always consult the Teaching and examination regulations.. Be sure to check if your study path counselor can organise a specific information session about results, deliberations and appeals for you.